I bought a second hand 09 Le Mauco in December 09 with 800k on it for about half price (a bit over $2k). I bought it because a fellow train traveller paid over $10k for a bike with similar running gear. He would worry about security so I suggested he repaint it and put Malvern Star stickers on it, then no one would pinch it and he would know he still has a quality bike under him, he wouldn't do it. This was before the launch of the Oppy range (probably 07). Once the Oppy was announced I constantly threatened to buy one (so I would have the same running gear for much less dollars) but baulked at the $4.5k So when one came up on ebay in the same town my sister lives in and she was visiting Melbourne for Christmas shortly after the auction closed I couldn't avoid the purchase.

I have a flatbar aluminium commuter which gets most of my riding hours so the Oppy is not wearing out but I enjoy the different feel of the Oppy from time to time, it certainly feels much lighter and quicker to ride.

As a youth I had a Skidstar with 3 speed Sturmey Archer hub gears and my sister had a DragStar.

rkelsen wrote:He may have been a great cyclist, but learning about the things he did while he was Immigration Minister for the Menzies government has caused me to lose all the respect I had for him previously.

The past is a different country rkelson - both major parties had despicable immigration policies back then.

I reckon the oppy range looks the goods, but they could really benefit from sponsoring a team in the national road series to give 'em a bit more credibility. Overall they'd get a fair bit of goodwill / racing cred for the annual cost of 20 or so bikes. If I was in the market for a new bike I'd definitely have an oppy on the shortlist.

So we get the leaders we deserve and we elect, we get the companies and the products that we ask for, right? And we have to ask for different things. – Paul Gildingbut really, that's rubbish. We get none of it because the choices are illusory.

I have owned a 2010 C6 for about 3 and a half weeks and 600km. Could not be happier with the bike. On average I am ~2km/hr faster than my old CRX2. The C6 is much faster into the wind and I am able to climb faster.

The C6 appeared to offfer far better value for money than any of the competitors. $2300 for a carbon fibre bike with full Integra SL is nothing to sneeze at.

My first bike back in 1977 was a Malvern Star. A steel frame 5-speed with down tube shifters. I later had it converted to a 10-speed to cope with the hills around Kalamunda.

I am more interested in value for money than brand prestige so I don't care that the Malver Star brand is looked down upon.

There's a team of us doing the Audax Fleche Opperman on Oppys. If you don't know the event, it's 24hr of cycling to ride > 360km...

The Opperman All Day Trial is an annual event held by Audax Australia. The Oppy is an event for teams of three to five bicycles and is held over 24 hours. The course and distance are chosen by each team and must be at least 360km long and finish at a designated location in each state.

The Fleche Opperman All Day Trial event is modelled on the Fleche Velocio event, held every year in France and begun by the Patron Saint of Cyclists, Velocio.

It is named in honour of one of the greatest Australian sportsmen, Sir Hubert Opperman, OBE (1904 - 1996), whose endurance cycling feats in the 1920s and 1930s earned him international acclaim.

He was voted Europe's most popular sportsman of 1928 by 500,000 readers of the French sporting journal L'Auto and won Paris-Brest-Paris in 1931, which at that time was a professional event. Oppy was Audax Australiaâ€™s patron until his death.

How does it work?

You get together with some friends and/or family and tell them what a great challenge you've found. Sit down and work out a route which does not cover the same road twice in the same direction, and allows you to finish in a set location in each State. The route, going by the map, must be at least 360km - there is no upper limit. Calculate where you will want some rest stops - these will be your controls where your support team (if you have one) can meet you and provide you with food/water/support. You are permitted to sleep, if you have spare time, but you must ride a minimum distance of 25km in the last 2 hours of the event - i.e. you can't ride your total distance straight to the finish and be early. All teams finish roughly between 8am and 9am on the Sunday morning, and then partake in a communal breakfast and exchange stories of hardship.

rkelsen wrote:He may have been a great cyclist, but learning about the things he did while he was Immigration Minister for the Menzies government has caused me to lose all the respect I had for him previously.

The past is a different country rkelson - both major parties had despicable immigration policies back then.

I reckon the oppy range looks the goods, but they could really benefit from sponsoring a team in the national road series to give 'em a bit more credibility. Overall they'd get a fair bit of goodwill / racing cred for the annual cost of 20 or so bikes. If I was in the market for a new bike I'd definitely have an oppy on the shortlist.

Two weeks owning a C5 - I've been away with a short holiday and work, so only racked up some 50km rides thus far, but loving it. A little disappointed with the black & white colouring (my TT bike is also b&w), but otherwise love the look and style. Only change made thus far is the saddle (Fizik Antares). Will chuck a picture up when (if) I get back home.

I had narrowed my selection down to 3 bikes - and ultimately the higher specs on the Oppy had me leaning. A 15 min test ride from the LBS won me over. After that, it was a matter of arraning a collection date.

I got a 2010 Oppy A4 as an entry level road bike and havnt looked back - great value for money took me there - the red & white colour scheme helped too Done just on 3000km in under 12months - love every minute of the ride - It looks great and rides well - makes me want to ride more & more.Have only changed tyres for hardshells and put on a Romin Sl 143 saddle.

Im already tempted to get a C model coz they look sh*# hot and from what im told ride even better.

For now the A4 lives in the lounge room where it begs/encourages me to ride as well as looks great!

Perhaps I'm a little jaded, but it seems like lot of bike brands think they're done once they have specified the paint & stickers on generic Chinese bikes. But Malvern Star, then part of Pacific Brands, stepped up and got Raoul Luescher to spec the whole frame from an original design. And judging from the racing results, it's clear he really knows what he's doing when it comes to carbon bikes.

Not sure if new owners of Malvern Star (Avanti) have taken the same care with the new Oppy; I hope so, because it is (or was) a classic product.

ldrcycles wrote:Just picked up my 2010 Oppy C7 frame this arvo, looks fantastic and i got it for next to nothing, popped on the wheels from my current bike for the photo, will build up with mostly 105 bits.

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